Iran confirmed 966 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total number of cases to 20,610, health ministry spokesperson Kianush Jahanpoor announced on state television Saturday. Over the last 24 hours 123 people have died from the virus, raising the death toll to 1,556, said Jahanpoor. A total of 7,635 patients have so far recovered, Jahanpoor added. Iran has the most coronavirus cases in the Middle East and is in an ongoing state of economic crisis. US sanctions on the country have seen its currency tank and unemployment grows.
The sanctions also mean Iran is struggling to access coronavirus test kits due to US sanctions, a board member of Iran’s Association of Medical Equipment Importers told the semi-official news agency ILNA in February. Ramin Fallah told ILNA that “many international companies are ready to supply Iran with coronavirus test kits, but we can’t send them money” because of the US sanctions.
